PITTSBURGH, PA – An emotional reunion before a Pittsburgh bride’s very special day.

Jeni Stepien’s has waited 10 years for this moment.

On the eve of her wedding day, Jeni met for the first time, the man who’s now living with her father’s heart.

A meeting filled with emotion for Jeni and the entire Stepien family.

Jeni’s father, Michael Stepien, was murdered in back in 2006. His organs were donated, including the heart Arthur Thomas had been waiting 16-years for.

On Friday, Jeni felt her father’s heart beat for the first time in 10 years.

“I am so excited. It’s like the whole family’s here now. It’s like everybody’s here,” Jeni said.

Thomas and his wife traveled to Pittsburgh from New Jersey to be here for Jeni’s big day. Everyone gathered at St. Anselm Church in Swissvale where the ceremony will took place.

“We’ve been talking to him and writing letters and calling and receiving flowers and sending gifts for the past 10 years and now it’s finally here,” said Jeni.

“Just hugging him made me feel like I was close to my dad again which on this day was perfect. It was what I needed,” said sister of the bride, Michelle Stepien.

But there’s even more to this special meeting.

“Jeni wrote me a letter. And she said, ‘Tom, I’m the daughter of the man whose heart’s inside you, and I’m gonna get married on August 6th. One further thing if you’re willing, would you walk me down the aisle?’” said said heart transplant recipient Arthur Thomas.

So Thomas got the OK from his daughter, and the rest is history.

“It’s just like having my dad here and just better because we get to share this story with other people and you know other people see that organ donors do matter.” said Jeni.